1. Brexit still causing waves, not ripples
The Brexit vote in June resulted in many companies putting their hiring plans on hold, however we have seen our specialist sectors of buying, procurement, supply chain & logistics gain more momentum in the last two months, and we think this will continue throughout 2017. This means the race to secure talent in the UK’s limited skills gap market will only tighten further, especially if you consider that the Office for National Statistics is already telling us that employment in the UK is at an all-time high, meaning there is little to no surplus in the market to take up the slack.
2. Demand for interim managers will increase
Despite the Government’s recent T&S regulations, as long as companies feel they are facing uncertain economic conditions they will continue to demand more flexible interim managers to project manage change & specialist projects, as well as to cover for unfilled permanent positions they may struggle to recruit promptly.
3. The UK manufacturing industry faces unprecedented change
While multi-national manufacturing businesses consider their options & may yet decide to relocate sites to other countries as a result of Brexit, we expect smaller SMEs to take advantage of the weaker pound, resulting in an increased confidence & willingness to hire.
4. Skills gap for talent gets bigger
The much publicised skills gap will increasingly ensure that the best candidates command higher salaries and have their pick of multiple roles, so employer branding will be a massive hiring tool in 2017. Companies will need to ensure their branding tells a story that engages potential employees or risk missing out.
5. Technology will increasingly disrupt the jobs market
As the introduction of new technologies gathers pace in logistics, supply chain and retail, we envisage the most successful businesses recruiting across sectors to ensure they keep abreast of the ever-changing skills sets required to succeed in 2017. Omnichannel and IoT are already here, but driverless transport and drone deliveries are also close at hand and only the companies that are ahead of the game in developing employee skills sets will be able to maximise returns. The recruitment industry is not immune either, and we expect to see many new apps for recruiters continuing to add to the maze of software for the recruitment sector.
6. The rise of the sub-niche
As the talent pool tightens, so the emphasis on passive candidates will increase. Niche and even sub-niche recruitment consultancies will become increasingly in demand, as the majority of in-house HR teams will simply not be able to develop relationships with every type of candidate their company needs. If your business faces any or all of the above challenges, please call us to have an informal discussion on how we can help you overcome these hurdles. We’re always happy to offer advice & help on 0161 825 0825.
